All The Best Films Of 2019 So Far
From 'Us' to 'Homecoming', 2019 has been a good year for films.
People keep yelling at each other about the definition of a film.
The Cannes Film Festival will no longer let films released by streaming services compete for their prestigious award, The Palme d’Or. Cannes said films made by companies like Netflix could play at the festival outside the competition; the invitation got declined.
Earlier this year, Steven Spielberg came up with a plan to change the rules that make films eligible for Academy Awards.
Turns out Spielberg isn’t mad at Netflix, he just doesn’t want to see cinemas close because everyone is staying at home. In a statement to the New York Times he said: “I feel people need to have the opportunity to leave the safe and familiar of their lives and go to a place where they can sit in the company of others and have a shared experience — cry together, laugh together, be afraid together — so that when it’s over they might feel a little less like strangers. I want to see the survival of movie theatres. I want the theatrical experience to remain relevant in our culture.”
The word “experience” gets thrown around a lot in the debate, but we focus too much on how we watch movies. We’re at a point where technology allows us to discover films in various ways. For now, we’ve still got a choice, which is great, you can watch giant monsters punch each other on the big screen or gasp at an epic Beyoncé concert film at home while using a pizza box as a plate.
The choice is yours! Here’s a few picks for the best films of 2019 so far.
Us
Jordan Peele could have retired after Get Out and lived off the glory.
But the man is a workaholic and went back to work immediately on Us, a film where a family on a beach holiday get stalked by … themselves. Any thought of a sophomore slump got obliterated by a horror film that examines the exploitation of an underclass of people and the perks of privilege.
Destroyer
Nicole Kidman is that you? A lot was made of Kidman’s transformation in Karyn Kusama’s (Girlfight, The Invitation) crime drama and it nearly eclipsed the damn movie.
Kidman’s disappearing act is excellent, but Kusama has an eye for female rage and the fallout of violent crime. Cops and crooks are forever intertwined by their actions and there’s no hope of returning to a normal life.
Parasite
The first Korean film to win the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival deserves all the accolades.
The latest from Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, Okja, The Host) focuses on family who are all unemployed, but their fortunes change when a friend introduces their son to a wealthy family looking for a tutor. Bong explores the dynamics of class and economic anxiety — the hustle is real — and it’s a stunner.
If Beale Street Could Talk
How do you follow Moonlight? You can’t!
But filmmaker Barry Jenkins does not abide by the laws of nature. If Beale Street Could Talk is one of those films where you have your hand over your heart the entire time. Important to keep your hand there to catch all the pieces when your heart breaks. Gorgeous to look at thanks to James Laxton’s cinematography, and the score is one to swoon over.
With two sublime films to his name it feels like Jenkins is only just getting started — can’t wait to see what he does next.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
The cinematic universe that matters the most in 2019 is the MonsterVerse!
Yes, Godzilla body slams a three-headed alien dragon, but this is epic eco-sci-fi. The politics of King of the Monsters is tied up in global warming and its ambitions match the awesomeness of seeing legendary monsters from the Godzilla franchise throw down.
Homecoming
There’s a moment in Beyoncé’s Homecoming where a precise edit between her two performances recorded at Coachella highlight the perfection on display.
In an instant, the performers on stage switch from pink to yellow costumes, and back, without missing a step. In one concert, Beyoncé’s blends her entire career into a stunning performance where black culture is front and centre.
There are morsels of behind-the-scenes footage that give you a sense of what Beyoncé is trying to achieve and it breathtaking seeing it come together. One of the great modern concert films.
High Life
Robert Pattinson aka Pattman aka Battinson, stars in an unforgettable sci-fi trip from director Claire Denis (Let the Sunshine In).
Criminals are shot into space and used as lab experiments around a black hole. The film expertly balances themes of creation and destruction in a chilling space setting. The answers don’t come easy and you’ll leave the cinema with so many questions they should have set up a support hotline.
But that’s the joy of High Life, letting it wash over you and then trying to figure out what the hell happened. I can’t stop thinking about it.
Cameron Williams is a writer and film critic based in Melbourne who occasionally blabs about movies on ABC radio. He has a slight Twitter addiction: @MrCamW.